Sant'Andrea a Galeria Antica
'Sant'Andrea a Galeria Antica '''is a ruined 13th century (?) church in the equally ruined ancient walled town of Galeria Antica. It is in a rural location south-west of the village of Osteria Nuova in the suburban zone of Cesano, and is not easy to find. The church is in the municipality of Rome, but in the territory of the diocese of Porto Santa Rufina. The dedication was to St Andrew the Apostle. History The site is on a steep-sided tufo outcrop, next to a gorge formed by the river Arrone, and is perfectly suited to a defensive position. Although the origins of the settlement are obscure, it is thought that it was founded by the Etruscans about 400 BC and was then called ''Careia. ''It was certainly in existence in ancient Roman times, as Roman masonry is to be found here. Rock-cut tombs in the gorge look Etruscan. In the Dark Ages, Pope Hadrian I (772-95) is recorded as establishing a so-callled ''Domus Cullate, ''which seems to have been a villa of which he was especially fond. Pope Gregory IV (827-44) had a fortified farmstead here, which was destroyed in Muslim raids. The location became a town in the Middle Ages, perhaps in the late 12th or early 13th century. It was already functioning as such when the Osini family inherited it in 1276, and the churches there would have been established by then. ''Sant'Andrea was the parish church, and was on the main piazza. There was also an "old hospital" church called Santa Maria della Valle, ''which may have been on the flat ground next to the river north of the town. Further, there was a church of ''San Sebastiano ''somewhere in the town, perhaps near the south gate, which was struck by lightning and destroyed in 1600. The other church that survived to the end was San Nicola a Galeria Antica, which was the castle church in the north-west corner of the town. The town seems to have been failing already by 1600, and by the end of the 17th century was in serious decline. There were 246 people in 1701. However the Manciforte family bought it, and invested in the reconstruction of much of the fabric starting in 1715. But their money was wasted in the long run. From a low of 42 in 1736, the population increased to 177 in 1769, but then began an inexorable decline to 110 in 1782 and 35 in 1800. The population was seriously affected by malaria. The only industry, a brickworks, closed in 1800 and a flood destroyed the flour mills in 1805. The place was no better than a farmstead when the final inhabitants fled in 1809 -it seems that their exodus was sudden and in a panic, and the reason for this is mysterious. They left behind many of their household goods, and also apparently some bodies of dead people which were only properly buried fifty years later. The survivors settled at the present ''Santa Maria di Galeria, ''which contains the old church of Santa Maria in Celsano. However, this place in turn is now just a farmstead and the local settlement is now Osteria Nuova to the north. The church was destroyed by fire in 1816, seven years after being abandoned. For the rest of the 19th century, the ruins of the town were pillaged for usable stone and timber. No sheep were allowed to graze there because of the danger of open cellars, hence the site was established as a self-sown wooded area by the 20th century. The site has been designated by the municipality as a nature and archaeology reserve from the start of the 21st century, but with little or no active management. Until recently the main access route was targeted by fly-tippers, and the ruins themselves were being used for rave parties and role-playing wargames as well as picnickers. There are now gates at both access routes, which prevent any close vehicular access. Appearance The main piazza of the town was laid out as a triangle, with the church on one side and the governor's residence on the other. Very little remains of the church except vague foundations, but the piazza is now a clearing in a wood and is a good place to have a picnic. Access Getting here is difficult. The site is not near any public road, and recently (2010) the driveway to the nearby farm was gated in order to prevent illegal dumping of rubbish. The following description is of the only two ways in. They are not way-marked, and even the "Geocache" people have had difficulty finding out how to get here. The first, and only recommended, way in is from the ''Via di Santa Maria di Galeria ''which runs from west of Boccea to Osteria Nuovo. The entrance is on the west side, and is about 300 metres south of the farmstead of ''Santa Maria di Galeria. ''It is the first driveway of any kind going south on that side. There is a security gate which prevents vehicular access, but it is possible to park a small car next to this. There is a cemetery bus service, the C26, and if you use this then get off at Monte del Nibbio and walk in the Boccea direction to the first bend in the road. If you want to use a more regular bus, take the 030 from La Storta train station and get off at the Via Braccianense /Via Santa Maria di Galeria stop just east of Osteria Nuova village. Then walk down the latter road. It's some distance. After passing the roadside gate, follow the farm drive until it bends sharp left to enter the farmyard. At this point, carry on straight ahead through some concrete blocking posts there to stop motorcycles, and follow the path across a field. You will see an impressive bastion on your left, part of the former town walls. The path then climbs along the side of the hill to reach the city gate. Once through this, the former piazza with the church of ''Sant'Andrea is to the left, and the church of San Nicola ''is off to the right. The other way in is tricky. Find the first farm driveway west of the junction between the Via Braccianense and the Via Quero, west of Osteria Nuova. There was a gate here, but you can park. Alternatively, take the 030 bus to Quero stop. Go up the farm drive, and just before you reach the buildings a track leads off to the left. This goes through an olive grove, does a hairpin bend and ends at a security gate. Beyond that, it peters out in a meadow on the north side of the river. You can see the campanile of the church of ''San Nicola from here. Your problem now is crossing the river. Except in winter, it should be possible to ford it at a meander straight ahead, and in the meadow on the other side there is a track made by wild pigs which heads off to the main route already described by the north town gate. You may read that there are derelict bridges in the gorge. This is true, but don't be tempted to try and find them on a casual visit. There are no paths, and it is really dangerous as well as overgrown down there (the writer can vouch for this). Warning notes There is some confusion in the online sources as to which of the two ruined churches is which. The area of the gorge is genuinely dangerous, with steep slopes covered with loose earth, sheer drops and also open shafts. External links Italian Wikipedia article Archeological sites in Lazio Galeria, La Città Morta Article by Prof. Remigio Ruggiero with sketch map Ghost Town blog Old photos Youtube video 1) Youtube video 2) Category:Catholic churches Category:Dedications to St Andrew Category:Deconsecrated churches Category:Ruined churches Category:13th century Category:Diocese of Porto Santa Rufina